PURPOSE: To retrospectively compare the local tumour response and survival rates in patients with non-colorectal cancer lung metastases post-ablation therapy using laser-induced thermotherapy (LITT), radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and microwave ablation (MWA).

MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of 175 computed tomography (CT)-guided ablation sessions performed on 109 patients (43 males and 66 females, mean age: 56.6 years). Seventeen patients with 22 lesions underwent LITT treatment (tumour size: 1.2-4.8 cm), 29 patients with 49 lesions underwent RFA (tumour size: 0.8-4.5 cm) and 63 patients with 104 lesions underwent MWA treatment (tumour size: 0.6-5 cm). CT scans were performed 24-h post-therapy and on follow-up at 3, 6, 12, 18 and 24 months.

RESULTS: The overall-survival rates at 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-year were 93.8, 56.3, 50.0 and 31.3% for patients treated with LITT; 81.5, 50.0, 45.5 and 24.2% for patients treated with RFA and 97.6, 79.9, 62.3 and 45.4% for patients treated with MWA, respectively. The mean survival time was 34.14 months for MWA, 34.79 months for RFA and 35.32 months for LITT. In paired comparison, a significant difference could be detected between MWA versus RFA (p = 0.032). The progression-free survival showed a median of 23.49 ± 0.62 months for MWA,19.88 ± 2.17 months for LITT and 16.66 ± 0.66 months for RFA (p = 0.048). The lowest recurrence rate was detected in lesions ablated with MWA (7.7%; 8 of 104 lesions) followed by RFA (20.4%; 10 of 49 lesions) and LITT (27.3%; 6 of 22 lesions) p value of 0.012. Pneumothorax was detected in 22.16% of MWA ablations, 22.73% of LITT ablations and 14.23% of RFA ablations.

CONCLUSION: LITT, RFA and MWA may provide an effective therapeutic option for non-colorectal cancer lung metastases with an advantage for MWA regarding local tumour control and progression-free survival rate.

A 59-year-old man with a 6-year history of erectile dysfunction presented to the andrology outpatient clinic. Multimodality assessment with ultrasound, MRI venography and fluoroscopic venography demonstrated an aberrant emissary vein arising from the corporal bodies causing venogenic erectile dysfunction. Selective coil embolisation of the collateral vein resulted in an almost immediate and sustained improvement in his erections.

Background Genetic profiles of ABO blood group system was reported to have clinical importance in predisposition to certain malignancies. This study was attempted to investigate any possible association between ABO genotypes and the risk of developing hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to determine the major ABO allele's frequencies in a cohort of Egyptian population. Subjects and methods One hundred patients (HCC group) and 100 healthy subjects (control group) were enrolled in this study. ABO Genotyping was done using Real-time PCR-melting curve analysis. Results Egyptians with BO genotype were 3.38 times more likely to develop HCC. This association was gender related and noted in hepatitis-free HCC cases. In elderly subjects HCC risk increased not only with BO genotype but also with AO and AB genotypes. In the healthy Egyptian sample, frequencies of the three major alleles (A, B and O) were 0.2917, 0.2083 and 0.5000 respectively. Frequencies of sub-alleles (A1, A2, B, O1 and O2) were 0.2500, 0.0417, 0.2083, 0.2917 and 0.2083 respectively. Serological and genotyping results showed a concordance rate of 97.9%. Conclusion BO genotype is associated with a higher risk for HCC in Egyptians independent of the established HCC risk factors. Egyptian ABO allele frequencies are closely linked to Iranian and Palestinian populations.

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